1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a record medium player for recording and/or reproducing a record medium such as a digital audio tape, a cassette tape, a compact disk or a video disk and particularly to an intermittently operating driving mechanism for a record medium selecting apparatus of a player of the type mentioned which selects one of a plurality of record media placed on a tray and feeds the selected record medium to a recording/reproducing position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An intermittently operating driving apparatus for a player of the type mentioned is already known and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2-216650. In the player, a plurality of tape cassettes are placed on a tray which is drawn out forwardly from a front panel of a player body, and the tray is drawn into the player body by means of the intermittently operating driving mechanism and then only one of the tape cassettes on the tray is fed to the recording/reproducing position, at which information such as music is recorded onto or reproduced from a record medium, i.e., a magnetic tape, in the tape cassette.
The intermittently operating driving mechanism in the player includes a tray base plate for receiving a plurality tape cassettes thereon, a tray driving plate connected to the tray base plate by way of a ball, and a motor for driving the tray base plate and the tray driving plate. The tray base plate is moved by the tray driving plate by way of the ball until it is drawn into the player body, and after the tray base plate is accommodated fully into the player body, the engagement between the tray base plate and the tray driving plate by way of the ball is cancelled and only the tray driving plate is moved to feed a tape cassette to the recording/reproducing position.
With such an intermittently operating driving mechanism which makes use of a ball as described above, however, the strength of a portion on which the ball slidably moves is not assured and the portion is liable to be damaged or broken. Besides, since the ball is liable to drop out of position, a trouble is liable to occur. Further, since both of the tray base plate and the tray driving plate move simultaneously within a certain section, the space factor is low. Besides, since the tray driving plate must operate over a full stroke, such a mechanism as a speed doubling or magnifying mechanism is required, which requires a high cost.